Dietary Recommendations Food Guide Pyramid to Change

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will revise its well-known
Food Pyramid. Introduced 12 years ago by the USDA, which spent about
$1 million just to decide on using a pyramid shape, is considering
scrapping the pyramid for another shape and making other changes.
1

The existing pyramid has a number of deficiencies. For example,
the graphic recommends consuming 6 to 11 servings daily from the
grains group of foods. That appears to suggest that a consumer should
consume 6-11 such servings each day. That’s an erroneous conclusion
that a consumer would discover only after carefully reading accompanying
materials. In reality, the recommendation is for six servings for
those with very low caloric needs and 11 servings are only appropriate
for those needing a very high caloric diet.

The most serious problem with the dietary recommendations represented
by the pyramid is that they are not based on science. Instead, they
are based on political compromises between agricultural producers
with conflicting economic interests. Is too much red meat recommended?
Blame the beef producers. Are too many eggs recommended? Blame the
egg producers. The USDA’s Food Pyramid is really the lobbyists’
Food Pyramid.

Amazingly, the Food Pyramid was not developed by any of the federal
agencies whose purpose is to promote health or any of the agencies
concerned with nutritional or medical issues, but by the agency
designed to promote agriculture and food consumption.

Diet recommendations should be based on objective scientific medical
research rather than the winners of competing economic self-interests.
The USDA Food Pyramid serves its masters well, but the public suffers.
"At best, the USDA Pyramid offers wishy-washy, scientifically
unfounded advice on an absolutely vital topic - what to eat. At
worst, the misinformation contributes to overweight, poor health,
and unnecessary early death." 2

Because of these inadequacies, doctors at the Harvard University
School of Public Health and the Harvard School of Medicine have
created a food pyramid based on scientific research findings rather
than economics or politics.

Because it’s based on scientific medical evidence rather
than politics and pressure groups, the Harvard Good Eating Pyramid
recommends regular exercise and weight control for everyone and
vitamin supplements for most people. Similarly, it recommends the
moderate and regular consumption of alcoholic beverages (beer, wine,
or distilled spirits) for all adults except for those who have good
reason not to drink.